New Delhi: Ahead of the assembly election in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday blamed Samajwadi Party for the killing of Hindus during the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013.
“More than 60 Hindus were killed and over 1500 Hindus were put behind bars during in Muzaffarnagar riots... This is the identity of the Samajwadi Party. Their cap is painted with the blood of innocent Ram Bhakts,” news agency ANI quoted Adityanath as saying.
Lashing out at SP, Yogi said that the party has no development-oriented thinking.
“They (SP) have no development-oriented thinking...It's not on their agenda... when they were in power, riots would take place everywhere... development was stalled...anarchy was at its peak but today there is no such scenario. There are no riots,” he said while addressing a poll rally in Baghpat.
Yogi further slammed Samajwadi Party saying, the previous government built a Haj House, while a Mansarovar Bhawan was constructed in Ghaziabad under the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule.
The statement came in the light of Yogi's visit to Ghaziabad on Saturday and he contrasted the work done by the SP government with the BJP.
"The previous government of Uttar Pradesh had built a Haj House in Ghaziabad. The BJP government has constructed a Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan in Ghaziabad with state-of-the-art facilities at a cost of Rs 94 crore. Giving respect to the faith, this building is a great gift for the devotees. The difference is clear," Mr. Adityanath tweeted in Hindi.
During his door-to-door campaign in Ghaziabad, Yogi made similar remarks and said, "Earlier Haj House was made in Ghaziabad. Our government constructed Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan. Earlier the mafia used to harass traders, but now no mafia can dare to grab property of any trader, doctor or a poor person...".
While making a veiled attack on the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday, Yogi called them supporters of Pakistan and "worshippers of (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah".
"They are worshippers of Jinnah, we are worshippers of Sardar Patel. Pakistan is dear to them, we will sacrifice our life for Maa Bharati (Mother India)," Mr. Adityanath said in a tweet in Hindi without taking names.
The CM of the state has also listed out the work done by his government including restarting of the Ramala sugar mill in the western region, the influence area of late Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh as well as the beautification work of a Shiv temple in Ghaziabad.
"Beautification of the ancient Shiv temple in Surana village of Muradnagar area in Ghaziabad district at a cost of Rs 50 lakh, construction of road at the cost of Rs 22 crore between Ganga canal Sondha bridge to Revra- Revri village and construction of bridge on Hindon river have taken place during the BJP government," he said.
The Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are to be held from February 10 to March 7.